tralala

I got a custom order - from Malwina. I'm so happy about it! It's for her 6 months old little niece and 3 year old nephew.

She wants me to make a forest set of finger puppets for him and mascot with a baby blanket and rattle for her. I assume she saw lalootka's photos on flickr because she said that black kitty Izumi was super-duper :) Well, at first she wanted me to make something unusual so I made sketches for a beaver and an otter - for a change from bears and kitties. But it seems kitties like Izumi, rule anyway. Or maybe I would make kitty - rattle? It's small - perfect for a rattle.

I chose otter because they are brightly looking, smart and pleasant creatures will "smiling" cute faces. And my grandmother called me "King Sobieski's otter" when I was a kid. And a beaver, bacause it was my sister's nickname.

And Hildegarde is going to Italy to girl Federica! I knew she'll be loved. Hildegarde - Federica is loved for sure! Federica has a mother that collects handmade softies. I just need to come back home to pack Hildegarde with all her accessories and make a tag. I hope they'll like her music also.

Only Sophie-bear will stay with Ada these days. No, how could I forget about cats - still in my attic, waiting for some remodelling, embellishment, and more stuffing. They have their place in Ada's old safety-chair, shared with Rudolph. It looks funny, but I can not make any photo of them together - Rudolph doesn't want me to show his laziness and always runs away seeing me with a camera.

sheep of the world, unite!

After making Amelia, and Sinead, I decided to make a whole herd - sheep don't like to live alone, prefer to flock together. I also thought that "sheep of the world, unite!" would be a great motto of such a production. So I thought that such a flock could be a good toy for any child - and even better present for an auction! Going to Lodz last Friday, with all my suitcase full of softies, I took my "moving studio" with me, few WIP sheep, threads, needles and so on. During couple of hours of travelling I made Pola, white fluffy sheep with scarlet legs, and embroidered heart on her "arm" for embellishment. People in compartment were rather surprised by seeing anybody with a needle work - it's so oldfashioned! - and asked me if I had any work finished to present them. And I did. They all agreed that Hildegarde was the sweetest monkey ever, and couldn't decide if Hadrian or Leelee was cuter. But I will never publish Pola's photo - one nice girl bought it. OK, she did not - I gave Pola to her father, because little Nicola asked him to buy her such a beautiful sheep (and I was flattered to hear it). I thought she was exact person to have it - she showed her good taste pointing the most beautiful of my toys - fox, Florence. Florence is especially dear to my heart. And so I just asked Nicola's father to sent the amount of money he thought Pola was worth to Gajusz Foundation. Well, I believe he will do it :)
When I came to Lodz, and I told my mother what I did, and what slogan I have, she asked me to make these sheep for her - to take them to Israel!!! She has the idea to present them at artistic symposium, as a metaphore of currency - masses treated as an easy pray, herds of unprotected sheep against the pack of wolfs - politicians and corporacies. I don't actually like this dichotomy: Us - Them, Sheep - Wolfs, it's too simple as an analyze of reality, but sheep and lambs indeed evoke many religious and mythological associations. Most of them connected with naivety, easy character, offering, innocence, pray, cuddly nice creatures of small reason. Though I'd prefer them to stay, I liked the idea they will make a journey to the Promised Land :) (actually, not so promised when some sheep are equal, and some sheep more equal there...) So, mother took three sheep and a lamb: Sinead, Amelia, Vincent and Bobby to Israel and promised me to take lots of photos in interesting surroundings. Good start. If it's still actual with summer_pickles, Amelia will go to Australia afterwords. Or maybe all of them? (My mother's safety is more important for me than any photo and I hope she won't make photos in any dangerous zone, and don't want to even discuss it). And then, I think that mother was right: slogan "sheep of the world, unite!" is not just a joke and travesty of communist slogan, but can be a statement, and motto for all those, whose good intentions, charity, trust, attachment for family is taken as a stupidity, herd instinct or target for misuse by anyone.

Every child is precious

Today I've been in an orphans house "House in a Boat" runned by Gajusz Foundation (I do not know whay I can not make a html for linking it), a NGO foundation that's running also a hospice for children. (I put their banner on my site. There is also auction site of the foundation at allegro.pl with their nick "Hospicjum_Dzieci").
So when I went to this house, I took Leelee and Hadrian and fox Florence for the children - residents. I made a purse and miniature Puka I had made as a toy for Florence.
But speaking of children: so far there are only three of them there, but it's gonna be 9 - all of them are more or less disabled. I feel shame that I didn's go there earlier and that I feared this visit. Because I did. Unnecessary. These children are so cute, vivid and funny! They deserve to be loved and cared. Not just by social workers and employed nurses, but by parents - adopted, if not by parents by blood. Or families - adopted also. Unfortunately, our social care system is not helpful to arrange adopted families for those children, or family houses. And that's a pitty. No, actually, more than a pitty. So far I do not know how to help to solve this problem.
But the best thing will be circle of friends - and I believe in this I can help. Actually EVERYONE can help.
I like the name of this house "House in a Boat" - for it's double meaning: the city it's located is Lodz, which means Boat also. They have quite lovely place, with a small backyard and garden, with a kindergarden as the closest neighbour. I hope they'll settle there nicely as soon as possible. They just have to familiarize the neighbours with their presence. With the presence of Strange Strangers, in many ways.
1o% of every sold toy item, I want to give them. That's a pledge. I think it will be better to focus of one charity - until I'm very reach :)

new creations

My posts are going in packs, so my creations.
After sniffing of touch for newborn baby, as I told myself, I came back to finishing forest set of finger puppets. Made especially for Kinga, Ada's elder friend.
As always, I loved making it. Deer is my favourite item right now, though I love wolf, bear and hare also. Creature in the middle is a ghost of the forest, mini version of my monsters - guardians. So is this one - taking care of all the forest and all creatures living there.

Speaking of a deer - at Trinlay Khadro flickr site one can see a poststamp from Lalootka-land (that's how she called it and I like it very much). There is a deer there to show the associations with a city Trinlay lives in.
I'll better go to sleep and postpone making a purse for finger puppets till the early noon - it's dawn, birds are starting to sing, and for me - sleep time.

matrix got me!!!!!! silly Aloutka! and children of the silence

After checking Krista's blog as almost every day (I wrote few blogs ago that I like her without actually knowing her in person), I've learned that her Hillary is already on our side of the reality. She named her baby Hillary Marie - good name. Have I mentioned that I'm an expert (in a way) in names and tradition of christening? Well, my PhD is all about it, heheheh :)
And - silly me - I was moved to tears by the information and beautiful photo of happy mother and daughter. CONGRATULATIONS, KRISTA AND HILLARY MARIE!"
Sniff, sniff...
I know the reason - though Ada is the most wonderful daughter in the world, she's not a newborn anymore. She is a big toddler, running around, speaking words that are not just her private language but each day more understandable, loudly singing, laughing, putting nappies on her head for fun, wanting to draw in my notecard, to be giggled, posing before the mirror, etc. She is growing fast, imitating grownups, almost grownup herself! I'd just like to feel this feeling of having newborn again! It was such a great thing to birth her and to have her in my arms. Well, I see that labor and storm of hormones made a gap in my memory and I don't remeber any discomfort or pain of pregnancy, heheheh. Besides, and that's another thing, Ada was very silent and calm baby from the beginning, and even midwifes in hospital were surprised by her zen meditative mood. So were our neighbours and landlords - everybody expected rush and loud. She just had her eyes opened but spoke a little. Child of the silence.
Omph, I'm back to myself - that's better. I'll better go finish birthday present for our young neighbour!
And I wouldn't be me if I hadn't noticed the information that Krista is already home! I have to check the information but it seems in Canada women come back homes after just labor! Or a one day. In Poland women are kept at least 3 days in any case. Very interesting.... I'll use it in my medical anthropology lecture. Next semester, of course :)

busy day

I found again the Paperpod creative and ecologically aware company using cardboard as a material to design toys and furniture. It's brilliant, indeed! I checked the price of this cupboard house and though it's not costless, 30 pounds is not exaggerated price for such an item.
It's fantastic - simple, decorative, beautiful and helps to teach children creativity. I feel like becoming fanatic of this idea.... Hm - poor Ada ;) (My parents are still disbelieving we want to raise her at least untill her 3 years without a constant contact with a tv. Actually we don't have a tv at all)

I'm preparing a gift for the first friend Ada has - Kinga is 9 years old neighbour of ours and likes to play with Ada. Tommorrow is Kinga's birthday as she herself told me, pretending she was just interested in a day of Ada's birthday :) . I'm making a set of finger puppets for Kinga - forest set. She doesn't look acustomed to handmade goods and toys, rather for plastic toys and lots of tv, but I hope she'll like it.

Today I received another custom order - thank Goddess!. Our friend Bartus wants me to make a dog - Alsace type - for his little nephew who loves his pet dog. I have an idea how to make it - propably wolf fingerpuppet will be my inspiration.

It seems I'll have a nice website! SOON! Even very soon. DD Paul designed a nice site for Kazawa Project : bright, with funny sketches and friendly colours and, what's the most interesting for me, with beautiful stripes as a decoration. But Adam doesn't want it - he preferes to keep the old layout. I don't quite understant him, but on the other hand, I can not compain - I love stripes! Especially in such brigh colours, like my favourite folk stripes. And I need a banner (and typography) as soon as possible. To start etsy shop, among the other thing. Poor DD - he doesn't have an easy life with a partner like Adam...

Sinead, Hildegarde and friends

Sinead, Hildegarde and friends
Originally uploaded by lalootka.

My new flatmates: lamb Sinead, and monkey Hildegarde. They are both young musicians: Hildegarde is composer (nomen omen), Sinead (nomen omen) is studying opera singing - one of her favourite artists is Bianca Casady They are very young so still keep their softies :)
After introducing lamb Amelia into a flickr world I realized that lambs hate to live in solitude - they need a company - the more sheep the merrier. Sinead warned me that few her cousins more are coming soon. And they are not silent for sure. (Her legs and arms are made of pure rustic linen. Next time I'll take thinner linen for this purpose).

We are expecting a concert soon - though Midsummer Night passed but there'll be another occassion soon: the end of term, exams and beginning of the Summer holidays :) - composer and conductor Hildegarde, solo vocal - Sinead. Though I love Hildegarde von Bingen , I hope that our Hildegarde won't imitate her fully.

Another addition to our growing lalootkas' company are vaderas, female wolf pack. I treat them as a modest contribution or rather hommage to the idea of The Mom Pack (it should be such an organization here in Poland).
I love wolfs and their perfect family organization. They are more loyal than musketeers, and more devoted to their children, and their mates than humans (in general). I still remeber wonderful book "Not so terrifing wolf" about researches among Alaskan wolfes by a young Canadian biologist who even ate mice to immitate wolf's diet and proove few of his thesis. Receipe for mice with bacon and cream is still in my memory.
But speaking about wolfs - I have to make some more of them for few sets of finger puppets and two of them will be a couple for custom order: the Noah's Arc.

And good news - Trinlay received Izumi today. At last, I worried a bit about it - it took so long! Trinlay is an expert in Japanese outfits, she has few kimonos and knows perfectly the difference between yukata and kimono. I wonder how she judges my production of kitty, her outfits and packages (I wanted to make it as simple and anasumed as possible - to follow the Japanes art of packaging, of course).